Even if the Raiders hold their own against a brutal schedule, that is just the first hurdle. Even if all the veterans they have collected pan out, they are only a bridge.

The Raiders still have plenty of work to do before harboring championship-contending hopes. The biggest task remaining is identifying -- and going out and getting -- the players who will push the team to the next level.

Who is going to be the face of the franchise when they move into a new stadium -- wherever that is? Who will make up the core group of players that will make the Raiders a factor for a good five-year stretch?

Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) talks to his team before snaping the ball in the first quarter of their preseason NFL game against the Seattle Seahawks at O.co Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2014. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
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The Raiders have some pieces that will fit nicely down the line. Fullback Marcel Reece and center Stefen Wisniewski come to mind. They are going to need more foundational pieces, some game changers who can compete with the elite of the NFL.

Rookie linebacker Khalil Mack is one.

"He's a freak ... he's going to be hell," defensive tackle Pat Sims said on the team's website.

That is what made the 2014 draft such a success for general manager Reggie McKenzie. The Raiders had to get a core piece, and Mack, who many thought had top-pick talent, fell into their laps.

But that lets you know where the Raiders stand from a future perspective. If you had to pick one guy to carry the torch moving forward, it is a guy who has yet to play a snap.

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Presuming he pans out, who will join him among the core that makes the playoffs a normality and not a fantasy? That is what the Raiders have to figure out. And that is what should really make the difference in whether this regime stands.

Derek Carr could be the quarterback of the future. ﻿But that might not be determined for some time, even if the rookie has won the starting job much sooner than expected.

Oakland Raiders defensive tackle Justin Ellis (78) works out along with teammates during the 2014 rookie minicamp at the Raiders training facility in Alameda, Calif., on Friday, May 16, 2014. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
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A few other rookies dripping with talent will get a chance. Guard Gabe Jackson, defensive tackle Justin Ellis, cornerback T.J. Carrie and safety Jonathan Dowling could end up being special, but that is hardly bankable.

Will Andre Holmes be a star receiver? Is there any hope that D.J. Hayden stays on the field long enough to become a mainstay in the secondary? Who will be the dominant pass rusher required these days?

What is the ceiling for linebacker Sio Moore, tight end Mychal Rivera and running back Latavius Murray -- second-year players with intriguing talent?

The question marks are seemingly endless. The answers need to come quickly.

The Raiders need some marquee players to emerge from their young crop. Depending on who those are, they will have to get some difference-makers -- in future drafts and on the free-agent market.

October will mark the three-year anniversary of Al Davis' death. The new era of Raiders football is still in need of a foundation. And it's still uncertain if McKenzie and coach Dennis Allen are capable of building it.

The rebuilding process has gone well to this point. The likes of defensive end Justin Tuck and offensive tackle Donald Penn should help raise the consistency of production. The Raiders should come out of this season with a raised bar, and six to eight wins to show for it.

Ideally, this crew of veterans can get the Raiders into the playoffs in 2015, ending a postseason drought and setting the stage for the next level.

When that time comes, the Raiders need some players to hand it off to. As much as it is about respectability, this season is about finding the gems to build on.

Detroit Lions running back Mikel Leshoure (25) left, is tackled by Oakland Raiders safety Jonathan Dowling (41) after Leshoure ran for a first down in the fourth quarter of their preseason NFL game at O.co Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, Aug. 15, 2014. The Raiders went on to win the game 27-26. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
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